CAse Studies
big brother + celebrity big brother
The world’s most successful and popular social experiment where a group of participants are placed into an environment where they have no communication with the outside world & their interaction is filmed 24 hours a day.
Brief: To produce short films to accompany live eviction broadcasts that tell the weekly narrative of the contestant’s key story points and their individual personal journey.
Process: In solving the brief I over-saw all the live edits & I was responsible for producing VO scripts, paper-edits and storyboards. This was a productive way of breaking down the key elements of an excessive amount of constantly growing rushes. It was important to pin-point the narrative that best highlighted not only the continuous story of the show but that of the individual contestants. By doing that I prevented time being wasted in a fast turnaround and sometimes, highly pressurised environment. With the speed of the process I was the key liaison, for the edit, with the Executives and Series Producer, to make sure we were delivering to a forever changing narrative.
With the excess amount of rushes it was key to deliver short action-packed films that contained as much content as possible, to a restricted duration. From short scripted films like ‘The Week That Was’ to individual interview story clips and Best Bit montage packages.
Result: The outcome was a ground-breaking, award winning show that has lasted the test of time since 1999 and still airs in the UK and across the world.
comic relief + sport relief
Comic Relief is a major UK charity, with a vision of a just world, free from poverty. Alongside the BBC and their partners, Comic Relief produce a live annual television event that aims to inspire the nation to support their work financially.
Brief: To produce comical, entertaining and moving films that inspire people to donate money. Also, within the legal broadcast restrictions, to produce thankful films to the big corporates that continuously raise money on behalf of the charity.
Process: I would meet with all the stakeholders to identify the key objectives and needs. It was important to create a continuous liaison with the talent, producers and directors involved with successful brands. These included working on spin-offs from films like Four Weddings and a Funeral, to James Bond and then award-winning television productions like Line of Duty & The Bodyguard.
I over-saw an edit team and it was key due to the time & financial restraints to make sure it ran as productively and efficiently as possible. I was responsible for maintaining a constantly changing edit schedule that was led by the availability of talent and to when I would receive rushes. It was key to produce numerous films continuously making sure everything was been viewed by the necessary stakeholders asap. This would make sure there was a productive and smooth flow to the edit process, in the constraints but upon us.
As well as producing films for the main broadcast I would be sourcing, from the rushes, suitable footage for digital and promotion and providing other productions, clips for talent interviews.
Result: Comic & Sport Relief both raised millions by the end of their evening television event, therefore able to continue the amazing work & services that they provide everyday in Africa and the UK
next level chef USA
Next Level Chef is the next evolution in cooking competitions with high intense drama and dramatic lows based around the heat of cooking & competing in a pressured kitchen.
Brief: Produce an episode to be part of a televised series that would continue the story telling from previous episodes and then set up development for the next but also stand alone as a high intense piece of television.
Process: To solve the intense pressure required by commissioners there was a lot of story-telling to be created and executed. I had to identify not only the key players for my particular episode but also make sure I was producing extra storylines that would develop later in the series.
It was important to tease out all the key beats of the story, work through all the elements to the format and then, having identified the narrative, develop these further, ready to stitch into an initial sync pull. Once viewed by the stakeholders it was about delivering a film that satisfied everybody’s requirements.
I also produced profiles for particular contestants, who featured in my narrative, aiding the viewers understanding of their background and drive to achieve in the competition. And at the heart of all the drama were the cooking challenges, which were a different story in themselves and equally as relevant to the over-all narrative.
Result: The outcome was a compact episode/film that would not only play out a clear competition for the viewers to follow but also create and follow contestants’ personal journeys across the series.
Charity
the big night in
Comic Relief and Children in Need joined forces, for one night only, to deliver a very special night of television. It was a celebration of the people making a difference during the Covid pandemic and raised money for charities that were struggling at the time.
children in need
Children in Need is a charity that believes every child in the UK should have the chance to thrive and be the best they can. Alongside the BBC and their partners, Children In Need produce a live annual television event that aims to inspire the nation to support their work financially.
I was responsible for the everyday running of an edit team and in regards to The Big Night In, I was working under a difficult remote and challenging time for production. Similar to my association with Comic Relief, it was all about liaising with the stakeholders, talent, producers and directors to produce entertaining and heart-warming films under high-pressure and financial restrictions with the aim of raising millions for the charity.
It was essential to maintain a continuous edit schedule that would change daily due to accessibility of talent and rushes. Therefore it was key to manage all films creativity over a challenging period.
I also produced corporate thank you films that celebrated their involvement with the Charities concerned, all in the restraints of broadcastable legalisation at the BBC.
The result for both was raising millions in one evening that would enable Children in Need to continue their amazing commitment to helping vulnerable children and to help finance charities struggling during the Covid pandemic.
documentary
a&e live
A live documentary event that celebrated 70 years of the NHS. The series saw presenter Davina McCall experience the drama of an A&E department as events played-out live.
I was involved in the producing of short films for the live documentary event and a key part of my role was to produce elements of the show that would assist the narrative of people that our presenter would meet in the hospital. These would include key consultants, nursing staff and patients. These short films would explain further their back stories to aid the story telling that was unfolding live on screen.
The films would often contain sensitive matter and I had to deal with the legality of what I was allowed to say whilst still creating truthful, thought provoking and emotional stories.
The result was a powerful and eye-opening experience for the viewer of everyday life in a pressurised NHS A&E department.
reality-entertainment
the circle UK + US
A reality competition show where players all live in the same building but are isolated into their own individual apartments. The players compete for popularity and money via a specially-designed social media platform called The Circle.
geordie shore
A reality competition show, where players all live in the same building but are isolated into their own individual apartments. The players compete for popularity and money via a specially-designed social media platform called The Circle.
love island
An award-winning dating-reality show that features ‘single’ contestants living together, secluded from the outside world with an aim to find love.
married at first sight UK
A bold social experiment where single people, matched by experts, marry strangers that they would only meet for the very first time on their wedding day.
rise & fall
A social experiment/reality television competition where participants are split into the haves and the have-nots. Either in a position of power or powerless, living in an opulent penthouse or a basement work environment with the chance to Rise or Fall.
I’ve produced on numerous successful British reality-entertainment productions. From managing my own full edit team to producing stories and creating full episodes. Regardless to the format of the show I have always focused on the key point of searching for the stories within stories to develop this content and characterisation of those involved. It’s about understanding the purpose and recognising what’s needed to tell the story as a whole and in context to a full series development.
As well as the story narrative that runs throughout it’s about finding the highs and lows that will create an entertaining and emotional pull for the viewer. It’s about creating drama that keeps the audience engaged within a society of distraction and leave them wanting more.
The result has been continuous success across the board with exciting, award winning, talked-about television and there’s nothing more rewarding than knowing that your story telling has been heard.